Revathy and Padmapriya resign from AMMA, vow to keep supporting Malayalam cinema

Revathy and Padmapriya (Pictures via Instagram)

Veteran actors Revathy and Padmapriya have resigned from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), saying the organisation has failed to embrace long-standing demands for workplace safety, accountability and equal treatment. The duo announced their decision through a joint statement on social media, stressing that their resignation was not triggered by a single incident but by years of unsuccessful efforts to bring about meaningful reform.

Two more valuable exits from AMMA

Explaining their decision, the actors wrote, "Today we are resigning from our primary membership of AMMA. Not in anger, not in haste." They said they had spent decades in the Malayalam film industry and deeply cared about its future, but had reached a point where they could no longer ignore the organisation's unwillingness to change.

Revathy and Padmapriya, who have been among the prominent voices advocating institutional reforms since the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), said their demands had remained unchanged for nearly a decade. "For years the ask was simple: safety, dignity, accountability and equal treatment. What we met instead was silence," the statement read.

The actors also criticised the response to the Hema Committee report, which exposed widespread allegations of harassment and discrimination in the Malayalam film industry. According to them, the resignations that followed the report did not represent accountability but rather an attempt to avoid responsibility. "Power keeps finding new ways to protect itself. The faces change. The methods change. But the structures enabling inequality remain untouched," they said.

All about the controversial resignations

Despite stepping away from AMMA, the actors made it clear that they remain committed to Malayalam cinema and will continue contributing to the industry. "Malayalam cinema will always be ours to love and to work for. That never depended on a membership," they said, adding that their decision should be seen as an act of self-respect rather than defeat.

Their resignations come at a time when AMMA is grappling with an internal leadership crisis after Shweta Menon's exit and renewed scrutiny over its governance. The exits of Revathy and Padmapriya have further intensified discussions about institutional reform, workplace safety and gender equality within the Malayalam film industry.